


Loneliness

by ArcadiosV (Mariannie)



Series: The Archives [6]
Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Heavy Emotions, a bit angsty, some talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27988380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariannie/pseuds/ArcadiosV
Summary: Verne and Jack haven’t spoken in years after a fight.They unexpectedly run into each other in Divinity’s Reach.Contains art
Series: The Archives [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063736
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> ...yeah uh... this is probably only interesting to a selected few but the peeps on tumblr liked it so i am cross posting :D
> 
> Art has been made by me.

He felt it before he saw him. A feeling, a presence he hadn’t felt in a long time. Someone he had wronged so horribly, left alone and disappeared. Someone he had hurt by his own selfish opinions, his own narrow mindedness, his fear. His concern for similar events to transpire.

Someone he should have apologized to long ago, but had been too cowardly to even visit. It had been several years since they had last spoken a single word to each other. Since they had even seen each other.

Verne had left the grove to fight, to take on mordremoth just days after their fight. And he had never returned unless he absolutely had to. Ironing out Scarlet’s damage had left him weary, cautious. It made him distrust the person he had been so close to, so incredibly close that no one, not even dragon’s watch could replace this void inside him. 

He had always felt it, learned to ignore it.

But seeing his brother handing a few copper to a merchant in divinity’s reach, made him freeze into place. He hadn’t seen him in more than five years. They had never run into each other.

Why was he here?

Jack’s coin purse fell to the ground as he turned, several coins rolled across the cobblestone, but neither of them moved. They only stared. 

It was like looking into a mirror, nothing had changed. Glowing blue eyes were boring into green, a stare was exchanged. Mouths opened, but no words were spoken.

Verne noticed small scars on Jack’s face. His doing. 

Jack was wearing a device over one of his eyes- and Verne took a step backwards, his knees felt weak, the air suddenly thick. Not even an elder dragon could faze him this badly. But the sight of his twin made him want to run, want to hide, forget what had happened, forget how badly he had messed up, how immature he had been, how-

Moments that felt like long minutes passed, neither of them moved, neither of them spoke. There were still coins on the ground…

Verne’s mind was racing. He had to say something! It was rude to stare, he hadn’t seen him in so long he should have at least… greeted him…

Jack took a step forward, he seemed to tremble just as much, but his expression was determined. Eyebrows knitted together in a frown, a deep breath, hand coming up. For a moment Verne thought his brother would slap him across the face. He had certainly deserved it-

Then two hands gripped his shoulders. He winced at the still healing injury from days ago. Jack immediately corrected his grip. Never let go, only pulled him close until their bodies were touching, until Jack’s arms were wrapped around him as tight as they would go without crushing him. 

Jack was still slightly taller than him.

Verne’s mind was reeling. How was that the first reaction after so many years? Why wasn’t he yelling at him- why-

Jack was shaking, pressing his forehead into Verne’s good shoulder, just standing there. 

“…I’m sorry.” The engineer hissed through clenched teeth. “I’m so sorry-”

Verne shook his head, tried to avoid the spikes on the shoulder plates his brother was wearing. It had never been Jack’s fault…

“I…should’ve… looked for you- come to meet you when you were home…” Jack continued, and Verne shook his head more forcefully.

“No-” Verne bit back more words. Why was his voice shaking so badly? “… I… it… your eyes-”

“They’re fine.” it was a whisper, a lie. But Verne let it slide. 

They were hugging in the middle of Dwayna Low road- coins all over the cobblestone and-

“… My house isn’t far-” Verne whispered back, inviting him. He owed his brother that much after so long.

A slow nod, then Jack was easing the hug, moving away. Verne felt the warmth leaving him, felt the chill of the evening. 

Taimi had hugged him a few times, but it had never felt so empty after they let go. And Braham’s near rib crushing embraces weren’t like this either. They didn’t feel so familiar, so…at home. 

It was nearly overwhelming how painful it felt to be separated from his brother. He remembered it, the first few days away from the grove, they were hell. He had his mind occupied with the dragon, but every single moment his mind was not busy planning strategies, was crushing. 

Painful.

It was when he had developed the habit of working until he passed out, just so he wouldn’t think.

And the strange pain that made his eyes burn was impossible to ignore. He had never felt so enslaved by his own emotions before, but he could see it in his brother too. They were feeding each other’s sorrow just by being close to each other.

Verne couldn’t move as Jack collected his coins from the ground, could only stare, blink against the blur in his vision, force the tears down. He wouldn’t- couldn’t…

Not where everyone could see it.

Jack was crouched on the floor, biting his lip with force enough to cause pain, and tears dripped onto the cobblestone, only masked by the clinking of coins as he put them back.

“Where’s your house?” Jack forced his voice to be steady, and he stood, head lowered, fists clenched against the painfully strong emotions.

“…S-Salma-” Verne managed, swallowed against the force of just breaking down, of letting this go its course.

It wouldn’t be fun, he knew that much. But it would be cathartic. 

They must’ve looked ridiculous, two Sylvari, two very similar looking Sylvari, walking down the street, both obviously battling tears, painfully strong emotions, but neither of them cared.

“…What… are you doing here…?” Verne tried, idle conversation seemed like a good idea. Something else to focus on. 

“…A friend wanted something-” Jack’s voice was thin, barely audible. 

And they continued walking side by side in silence until they reached Verne’s home.

[My tumblr](https://arcadios-v.tumblr.com/)


End file.
